Measure J, bonds for school facilities: How much would it add to tax bills?

Measure J, if approved, would provide immediate capital for school repair projects.

Oakland residents will vote on November 6 whether to allow the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to issue $475 million in bonds to repair school facilities and start new projects. If voters approve Measure J, OUSD will begin planned projects at 11 schools in Oakland, including McClymonds High School and Foster Elementary, among other district-wide improvements. Projects range from replacing portable classrooms with permanent buildings to constructing community kitchens at school sites.

Measure J would be the fourth in a series of bond measures to be approved over the past 18 years. Bond measures allow institutions to borrow money and, with time, pay back the loaned amount, plus interest. The borrowed money is paid back using funds produced by tax levies on Oakland property owners (see graphic for Measure J tax amounts). The tax rates are not fixed, said OUSD director of public relations Troy Flint. Alameda County would set tax rates based on the actual repayment amount due each year.

Under the California Education Code, bond money may only be used to pay for facilities—“not people,” school board president Jody London said, adding that voters sometimes think bond money will be used for salaries.